1951 Chevrolet 3100 – A Father’s Influence

A father’s role is to not only provide and protect, but to influence and mold his children. As a child, our parents’ words are like scripture, and the actions that follow continue to fortify the lessons and the lifestyles they teach. For Richard Ingram, his father’s influence went a long way.

Growing up, Richard always looked up to his father. He witnessed his passion for lowriding, appreciated the craft and the camaraderie that came with it, and soon enough it became a necessary goal to achieve. Knowing that, he got a job, saved up enough money, and when the time was right, so were the pickings. Knowing that his son was looking for a truck, his father put out the word; his father’s friend had a lead on a 1951 Stepside located in Orange County, California. The truck was in all-original condition with significant wear and tear, but for a measly $8,500 he couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

Since the truck was stock, it sat up high, so the first order of importance was to bring it back down to earth. They made a call to Reiss Racing & Restoration and told him that they wanted the truck on the ground, to which he said no problem. A few days later, the once high-rise truck was sitting snug to the floor and the factory patina helped give a nostalgic feel that left them contemplating whether they should leave it alone. Well, that only lasted a few days before they decided to have it painted. Jeff Beckett sprayed the body in green and Dave Zatezalo followed up by adding ‘striping in two shades of gray. Jerry Sampson fine-tuned the straight-six engine while Joel’s Auto Upholstery stitched together the bench seat in gray vinyl.

All said and done, the once-“simple” build turned into a full-blown love affair that involved plenty of revamping, but the end result is a truck that brings back many fond memories about how it came to be.

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